This weekend boasts Sunday as Heritage Day, more fondly known by South African’s as National Braai Day. This holiday is abuzz with buying firewood, charcoal, great produce, delicious wine and visiting with family and friends over fire and food.
We thought we would share some of our most favourite patio pleasers for this weekend’s braai fiesta plans! If you are in Cape Town this weekend, we do hope you have a fabulous time. Don’t forget to book one of our delicious foodie evenings really soon!
Book NOW with Katy ~ http://bit.ly/2jl91Bk
info@gingerandlime.co.za | 083 660 1146
BABY SPINACH SALAD via Nobu
Ingredients
2/3 cup sliced leeks
vegetable oil for frying
1 large packet of baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon truffle oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Dried Red Miso
handful of onion sprouts
For the dried miso
Using a palette knife, spread 2/3 cup miso (any type of cooking miso such as red, white and yellow works well) as thinly as possible on a nonstick baking mat. Place in a warm area to dry out naturally, for 1 to 2 days.
Alternatively, dry in a 230F (110C) oven for 1 to 2 hours, being careful not to allow the miso to darken. Crumble evenly. Keep in an air-tight container.
Preparation
Fry the leeks or shallots until crisp. Set aside. (optional)
Dress the spinach leaves with the olive oil, truffle oil, yuzu/lime juice, ground pepper, and Parmesan cheese.
Mix in the fried leeks. Toss in the Dried Red Miso at the end, right before serving, so it stays crunchy.
BRAAIED LAMB TAGLIATA
with a salsa verde on a bed of rocket
Ingredients
1/2 t Maldon salt
1/2 t Black pepper
1 T Rosemary needles, chopped
2 x 200g Lamb rumps (or a deboned leg of lamb)
olive oil for brushing
100g Rocket
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil infused with 2 cloves of grated garlic
Heat the oven to 200C.
Mix salt, pepper and rosemary together,
Brush the lamb with olive oil.
Press lamb into the herb seasoning.
Sear over a hot fire until well browned.
Place on a baking tray, in a medium oven (160C)
Bake for 10 minutes or so for rare lamb.
Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes.
Slice the lamb and strew over rocket on a large platter..
Serve with a salsa verde and serve.
Salsa Verde
1 large bunch mixed soft fresh herbs, such as flat-leaf parsley, basil, oregano and mint, as well as some thyme
1 clove garlic, grated
2 tablespoons capers or caperberries, drained
2-3 anchovy fillets, finely sliced
1 heaped tablespoon French mustard
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
Salsa verde is traditionally made with parsley, but I quite like to mix it up a bit and use a bit of basil and mint in there too. Use it to jazz up meat, fish or roasted vegetables, or you could even enjoy it as a lovely dip for roasted new potatoes.
Pick and roughly chop the herb leaves in the centre of a large chopping board. Add the garlic, capers and anchovies and continue chopping and mixing it all together until fine.
Scrape everything into a large bowl and add the mustard, extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Have a taste and season with salt and pepper. You might need to tweak the flavours a little, so keep tasting and add more oil, vinegar and seasoning if needed until you get it just right.
Salmon using a Himalayan Salt Slab
Salt block cooking is the latest craze to hit the outdoor scene. They are particularly useful for cooking steak and fish on a gas braai. Salt blocks absorb and radiate heat brilliantly. You get a wonderful crust on a steak from a salt slab.
Ingredients:
Salt slab
Fish of your choice
2-3 lemons, sliced
Olive oil
Method:
1. Heat the salt slab according to instruction
2. Take a few drops of olive oil and smear the salt slab with
it (have some kitchen towel handy for this)
3. Place the fish or fish fillets on the salt slab and close the
lid. Braai for 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Turn the fish or fish fillets over and braai for 2 more
minutes lid closed.
5. Place some lemon slices on the fish when you turn fish
over.
BRAAI NOTE: Please consider the following:
Salt blocks crack if you whack them on a braai at a high
heat. Heat them slowly, by degrees, as per the suppliers
instructions.
Salt slab get incredible hot, especially on the bottom. Use
oven gloves to handle.
Kill the flame and cool it on the braai.
Please don’t try to impress your guests by putting a salt slab
on a dining room table or any table for that matter.
Clean salt slabs with a sponge and water.
The salt slab will grow brown with time. Its fine though, grab
your pestle and mortar and make some seasoning with it.
ICEBERG WEDGE SALAD
with LEMONY MUSTARD DRESSING
Take an iceberg lettuce, cut off the core and cut the rest into wedges. Slice up 6 spring onions, 2 avocados and chop fresh parsley to garnish the salad with, and serve with the dressing below.
DRESSING
1 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Lemon juice
1 t English Mustard
1 t Honey
black pepper and salt
1 clove crushed Garlic
1/2 cup flat leaf Parsley
Mix well.
NB: Add freshly chopped flat leaf parsley just before serving as will go brown otherwise.
Photos by Adrian Shields Photography